We can confidently say this was one of the best and coziest places we’ve stayed as a couple. Despite the chilly July nights, our suite was perfectly warm and comfortable thanks to both the air conditioning and an additional portable heater. We stayed in the Executive Suite and loved the extra separate lounge area with a sofa — perfect for relaxing in the evenings. The view of the mountains from our room is something we’ll never forget — absolutely breathtaking. Breakfast was generous and delicious: we had a fluffy vegetable omelette, warm multigrain bread with butter, cheese, jams, as well as muesli and yogurt. One evening, we requested a vegetarian dinner, and prepared a lovely pasta dish loaded with vegetables, served with a fresh salad. Dining by the large fireplace made it all feel incredibly special. The lodge is beautifully designed with inviting common areas, lush plants, and a warm, homey atmosphere. It's run by a wonderful couple who clearly care deeply about both the property and their guests. They’re also true animal lovers — while there are a few dogs on-site, everything is peaceful and quiet during rest hours. As bird lovers, we were especially delighted by the many new bird calls we heard each day and the chance to spot some truly interesting species right around the property. We wholeheartedly recommend this place. It’s just a short drive from Marakele National Park and truly added something special to our South African adventure. Big thanks to Monica & Dave – we absolutely loved our stay! Cheers xx

All was perfect.

We had a wonderful stay at Marula Cottage Guest Lodge. The location is perfect for visiting Marakele National Park, peaceful and just a short drive away. The room was clean, comfortable, and well-prepared. What really stood out was the warm hospitality from Dave and Monika, who went out of their way to make us feel at home. They even prepared us a delicious dinner, which was a lovely and much appreciated after a long day. The garden and surroundings are quiet and relaxing, and breakfast the next morning was fresh and satisfying. A truly charming place with personal touches.

The welcome at the lodge was very warm, we were greeted by both the owners Dave and Monika and their lovely dogs. They helped carrying our luggage to the room and immediately asked what we would like to drink after which we sat down and had a nice chat, we imediately felt at home and that feeling stayed with us during the 3 nights stay :-) The room is not very big or over luxourious but it's still real nice and clean with real comfortable beds and a beautiful view on the mountains ! Beforehand we arranged to have the dinner at the lodge so we did not have to go out to the village in the evenings and could just relax and enjoy the beautuful view on the mountains from the porch at sundown or play with the dogs in the garden before dinner ! Monika proved to be a fantastic cook so we did not regret this decision, the meals were real tasteful and healthy, Excellent ! We shared the dinners with other guests and also with owners Dave and Monika and there was a real nice atmosphere, we felt more as friends among each other instead of being lodge guests ! We asked Dave, who is a qualified game ranger, to guide us on a gamedrive in Marakele NP which is just a few KM's down the road, we loved the way he shared his knowledge about the animals, plants en trees and his ability to track animals and predict how they would react so we hired him again later that week for a gamedrive in Pilanesberg NP as well ! Included in the gamedrives were the lunchboxes with very tasty sandwiches that Monika prepared, lovely to eat those on a high viewpoint! The love Dave and Monika show for their rescue/shelter dogs and their love/concern for the nature is really heart warming ! All in all we had a real special time and stay at Marula Guest Lodge and we would love to return in the future !

Maybe the shower could do with a bit more water pressure. ? The fact we had to leave..

On our roadtrip to Botswana we stayed at Marula Cottage Lodge for three nights in total (two on the way to Botswana and one on the way back to the Airport in Johannesburg). We highly recommend staying with Monika and Dave! The Lodge is located in a beautiful quiet area near Thabazimbi. The rooms are comfortable and equipped with everything one could need. We really enjoyed the breakfast and especially the freshly cooked dinners. From the lodge it’s only a short drive to Marakele National Park, which is also worth a visit. Overall we want to thank Monika and Dave for their amazing hospitality, helpful advice and great contribution to our vacation. We hope to be back soon!

I liked that Dave and Monika were very friendly and accommodating. They immediately made me feel at home. The house and facility really feel like a home away from home. I enjoyed having someone to talk to after a long day. They also don't mind if you want to relax without any conversation. The food was great and prepared with love and compassion. The portions were good, and I also enjoyed the breakfast. The dogs also add to the home like feel and welcome you with wagging tails and barks. The view both in the day and night is exceptional. It takes a few minutes to get to the destination. The benefit of that is that it is really quiet and calm away from the noises of Thabazimbi.

There wasn't really anything that came to mind that I did not like, I guess the water pressure in the shower was not as good, but it was enough to do what you needed to do.

This was our first night's stay on a 3000km road trip through SA, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and it could not have been a more perfect introduction. Monika and Dave were excellent, accommodating and thoughtful - ensuring we had delicious homemade food and offered us lots of great advice on our forthcoming trip.

Nothing - this is a welcoming place with a lovely gang of dogs to hang out with while you rest.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Marula Cottage Guest Lodge. The hosts are very friendly and welcoming and shared a lot of useful information. The rooms are beautifully furnished with a great view of the landscape. The beds are comfortable, large shower with warm water. The night and breakfast are excellent. The dogs are just so cuddly and very affectionate. It was a great stay and we really enjoyed it.

The hosts Dave & Monika were outstanding and went out of their way to pay attention to their guests. We liked that nothing was too much trouble

There was not a single we did not like. We are dog lovers hence it was lovely having their family dogs around, they are an intrinsic part of their family, a few other guests may not feel the same way. I must say Dave did mention the dogs when we booked.

Monika and Dave welcomed us in the friendliest way ever! Our stay at Marula Cottage felt like coming home. The room was super cute and very clean. The food was amazing and I wish we would have stayed longer. They even helped us with fixing the car and getting ready for our border crossing to Botswana. We would always come back and we can recommend this place! Thanks Monika & Dave for making our stay unforgettable

Lovely rooms with views across the valley to the mountains beyond. Monika and Dave were such kind, friendly and helpful hosts, and our breakfasts and home cooked dinners courtesy of Monika were delicious! Watching the bush babies come down from their tree at sunset was a real treat!

Nothing. Everything was great.